Wednesday, August 6, 2008

The only even remotely household names in their sport might be considered easy marks heading into Beijing, where they will defend the gold medal they won in Athens four years ago. May-Treanor, after all, has been playing recently with taped ribs and Walsh is coming off shoulder surgery last offseason.

Yet the last time the two former California high school rivals lost was August 2007, when Nicole Branagh and Elaine Youngs, the other U.S. team headed to Beijing, beat them. Since then, though, the injuries have had little impact. May-Treanor and Walsh have won 18 consecutive tournaments and 101 straight matches, both beach volleyball records.

Such monotony is wearing on others in the sport. "I'm sick of them winning," rival Jennifer Boss told reporters after a loss in the final of a tournament last month in Brooklyn. "We're ready for anyone else to win at this point."

No wonder. Not only did May-Treanor and Walsh fail to lose a game en route to gold in Athens, they have won the last three world titles -- in 2003, '05 and '07. Now, they are clear favorites to do the only thing that seems normal to them -- win again.

-- Barry Svrluga